Ching-Jui Chang

Adsorption of acid dye onto activated carbons prepared from agricultural waste bagasse by ZnCl2 activation.

A series of activated carbons were prepared from agricultural waste sugarcane bagasse by chemical activation with zinc chloride (ZnCl2) as an activating agent at 500 degrees C and 0.5 h soaking time. The Langmuir surface area and total pore volume were used to estimate the average pore diameter of the carbon products. The values of the surface area and pore volume increased linearly with increase in the impregnation ratio (IR) up to 100 wt%. The adsorption capacities of the derived adsorbents for Acid Orange 10 were measured at 20 degrees C and 40 degrees C to gain further insights into the acidic surface oxides of the adsorbent from the results of Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy analysis and pH measurement. Adsorption isotherms of the acid dye on adsorbents prepared were determined and correlated with common isotherm equations. It was found that the Langmuir model appears to fit the isotherm data better than the Freundlich model. The physical properties of these adsorbents were consistent with the parameters obtained from the isotherm equations.

A LOW COST ADSORBENT FROM AGRICULTURAL WASTE CORN COB BY ZINC CHLORIDE ACTIVATION

A series of activated carbons were prepared from agricultural waste corn cob by the chemical activation with zinc chloride (ZnCl2). The effect of process variables such as pyrolysis temperature, soaking time and ZnCl2/corn cob ratio (impregnation ratio) of the production of adsorbent was examined. The most important parameter in the chemical activation of corn cob with ZnCl2 was found to be the impregnation ratio. The percentage of micropore was observed to decrease at higher impregnation ratios. The pyrolysis (or activation) temperature is another important variable, which had a significant effect on the pore surface area evolution. Under the experimental conditions investigated, the temperature of 773 K was found to be the optimal condition for producing high surface area carbons with ZnCl2 activation. This study showed that the ZnCl2 activation of corn cob was suitable for the preparation of activated carbons which are essentially microporous.

Preparation of activated carbons from corn cob catalyzed by potassium salts and subsequent gasification with CO2

In the present study, granular activated carbons were prepared from agricultural waste corn cob by chemical activation with potassium salts and/or physical activation with CO2. Under the experimental conditions investigated, potassium hydroxide (KOH) and potassium carbonate (K2CO3) were effective activating agents for chemical activation during a ramping period of 10 degrees C/min and subsequent gasification (i.e., physical activation) at a soaking period of 800 degrees C. Large BET surface areas (>1,600 m2/g) of activated carbons were thus obtained by the combined activation. In addition, this study clearly showed that the porosity created in the acid-unwashed carbon products is substantially lower than that of acid-washed carbon products due to potassium salts left in the pore structure.

Variant GADL1 and response to lithium therapy in bipolar I disorder.

BACKGROUND Lithium has been a first-line choice for maintenance treatment of bipolar disorders to prevent relapse of mania and depression, but many patients do not have a response to lithium treatment. METHODS We selected subgroups from a sample of 1761 patients of Han Chinese descent with bipolar I disorder who were recruited by the Taiwan Bipolar Consortium. We assessed their response to lithium treatment using the Alda scale and performed a genomewide association study on samples from one subgroup of 294 patients with bipolar I disorder who were receiving lithium treatment. We then tested the single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that showed the strongest association with a response to lithium for association in a replication sample of 100 patients and tested them further in a follow-up sample of 24 patients. We sequenced the exons, exon-intron boundaries, and part of the promoter of the gene encoding glutamate decarboxylase-like protein 1 (GADL1) in 94 patients who had a response to lithium and in 94 patients who did not have a response in the genomewide association sample. RESULTS Two SNPs in high linkage disequilibrium, rs17026688 and rs17026651, that are located in the introns of GADL1 showed the strongest associations in the genomewide association study (P=5.50×10(-37) and P=2.52×10(-37), respectively) and in the replication sample of 100 patients (P=9.19×10(-15) for each SNP). These two SNPs had a sensitivity of 93% for predicting a response to lithium and differentiated between patients with a good response and those with a poor response in the follow-up cohort. Resequencing of GADL1 revealed a novel variant, IVS8+48delG, which lies in intron 8 of the gene, is in complete linkage disequilibrium with rs17026688 and is predicted to affect splicing. CONCLUSIONS Genetic variations in GADL1 are associated with the response to lithium maintenance treatment for bipolar I disorder in patients of Han Chinese descent. (Funded by Academia Sinica and others.).

Effects of Atypical Neuroleptics on Sustained Attention Deficits in Schizophrenia: A Trial of Risperidone Versus Haloperidol

To help determine whether sustained attention deficits as measured with the Continuous Performance Test (CPT) are stable vulnerability indicators of schizophrenia, we compared the CPT performance of schizophrenic patients before and after treatment with risperidone or haloperidol. In this double blind trial, 56 schizophrenic patients were randomly assigned to a 12-week regimen of either risperidone or haloperidol, after a 1-week washout period. The patients undertook two sessions of the CPT (undegraded and 25% degraded) twice, one at the end of the washout period and the other at the end of the study. Thirty-eight patients completed the study, 19 in each group. Both groups experienced significant improvements in clinical symptoms, and the risperidone group showed no change in the severity of extrapyramidal symptoms. Despite those improvements, the CPT performance indexes did not change significantly from the beginning to the end of the study. These findings indicate that sustained attention deficits might be stable vulnerability indicators of schizophrenia.

Major depressive disorder in Taiwan defined by the Chinese Diagnostic Interview Schedule

The lifetime prevalence rate of major depressive disorder (MDD), as defined by the Chinese Diagnostic Interview Schedule, is 1.14% in Taiwan. This is significantly lower than the lifetime prevalence rates reported in Western studies and similar to other studies in the Chinese population using similar methods for assessing cases of MDD. Epidemiological data from 136 MDD cases were analyzed to provide possible explanations for this difference in lifetime prevalence rates. The low rate of broken families in Chinese culture, low comorbidity rate, and older age of onset of MDD may suggest a reality of low lifetime prevalence rates of MDD in Taiwan.

A functional polymorphism in the promoter region of the tryptophan hydroxylase gene is associated with alcohol dependence in one aboriginal group in Taiwan

BACKGROUND Polymorphisms within intron 7 of the tryptophan hydroxylase (TPH1) gene were found to be associated with alcohol dependence in different ethnic groups, including the aboriginal Bunun group in Taiwan. This study aimed to identify genetic variants at the TPH1 locus and to examine their associations with alcoholism. We hypothesized that the polymorphism of TPH1 gene is functional and influences the human circadian rhythm to contribute to the pathophysiology of alcohol dependence. METHODS DNA from the Taiwanese Han and Bunun was subjected to sequence for screening genetic variation in the coding and promoter regions of the TPH1 locus. Polymorphisms among individuals with alcohol dependence and control subjects in two ethnic groups in Taiwan were investigated. RESULTS Three variants in the TPH1 promoter region were identified, and the markers are in complete linkage disequilibrium in both populations. Positive associations at both allelic and genotypic levels were obtained between case and control groups in the Bunun. Expression studies demonstrated that the variants indeed affected reporter gene activity in human choriocarcinoma and colon adenocarcinoma cell lines. CONCLUSIONS Polymorphisms in the promoter region may influence the function of the TPH1 gene and further influence the proclivity of alcohol dependence in one ethnic group in Taiwan. The associations between TPH1 genotypes and alcoholism may deserve further investigation.

Thermogravimetric Analysis of Corn Cob Impregnated With Zinc Chloride for Preparation of Activated Carbon

The thermochemical decomposition of agricultural by-product corn cob impregnated with ZnCl2, as a precursor material for producing the activated carbons, was investigated by thermogravimetric (TG) analysis at the heating rate of 5 and 10°C min–1 under a controlled atmosphere of nitrogen (60 ml min–1). The appearance of a peak in the differential thermogravimetric plot (DTG) in the temperature range of 400–600°C is significantly related to the extent of impregnation. The DTG curve of the sample impregnated with the optimal impregnation ratio of 175% (i.e., the ratio of ZnCl2 mass of 87.5 g in the 200 cm3 of water to corn cobmass of 50 g), which yields an optimal BET surface area of the activated carbon and displays a DTG peak at about 500°C. This may be partially due to the intense chemical activation and results in the formation of a porous structure in the activated solid residue. This observation is also in close agreement with previous results at optimal pyrolysis temperatures of 500°C and with similar experimental conditions. In order to support the results in the TG-DTG analysis, the development of pore structure of the resulting activated carbons thus obtained by previous studies was also examined and explained using the scanning electron microscopy (SEM).

Association between mood stabilizers and hypothyroidism in patients with bipolar disorders: a nested, matched case‐control study

OBJECTIVES This study investigated whether lithium, carbamazepine, and valproate increased the risk for hypothyroidism using Taiwans National Health Insurance Dataset. METHODS The sample included 557 bipolar disorder patients with incident hypothyroidism first diagnosed between 1998 and 2004, and 2,228 sex-, age-, and index date-matched bipolar disorder patients without hypothyroidism from 1996-2004. We compared the use of lithium, carbamazepine, and valproate before the onset of hypothyroidism between the two groups using a conditional logistical regression model. RESULTS Compared with patients who had never used any of the three mood stabilizers, patients were more likely to have hypothyroidism if they only used carbamazepine [odds ratio (OR) = 1.68; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.07-2.65]; or comedication of lithium and valproate (OR = 2.40; 95% CI: 1.70-3.40), lithium and carbamazepine (OR = 1.52; 95% CI: 1.10-2.08), and three mood stabilizers (OR = 2.34; 95% CI: 1.68-3.25). There was a dose-response relationship between the number of mood stabilizers and risk for hypothyroidism (OR = 1.34, 95% CI: 1.21-1.49) and a significant interaction between lithium and valproate on the risk for hypothyroidism (p = 0.020). CONCLUSIONS Our findings indicate that lithium, carbamazepine, and valproate may increase the risk for hypothyroidism, particularly if combined, and suggest regular monitoring of thyroid function and monotherapy of mood stabilizers for treating patients with bipolar disorders.

The association between carbamazepine and valproate and adverse cutaneous drug reactions in patients with bipolar disorder: a nested matched case-control study.

Objective: This study investigated the association between 2 mood stabilizers (carbamazepine and valproate) and other medications (including other anticonvulsants) and the risks of erythema multiforme (EM), Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS), and toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN) among patients with bipolar disorder. Methods: Using the data of patients with bipolar disorder between March 1997 and December 2004 from the Psychiatric Inpatient Medical Claims databank, we identified 72 patients with bipolar disorder who had an inpatient or outpatient diagnosis of EM, SJS, or TEN by the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Classical Modification code 695.1 and 288 controls with the absence of EM, SJS, or TEN diagnosis who were matched for sex, age, and index day. The use of carbamazepine, valproate, and other medications during the 60 days before the index date of diagnosis of EM, SJS, or TEN were compared. Results: Results showed that carbamazepine (odds ratio, 3.7; 95% confidence interval, 2.0-6.8) and valproate use (odds ratio, 2.2; 95% confidence interval, 1.2-4.2) significantly predicted EM, SJS, or TEN. Other significant predictors for EM, SJS, or TEN included other anticonvulsants (phenytoin, phenobarbital, and lamotrigine), cephalosporin, some nonsteroid anti-inflammatory drugs (acetic acid derivatives and fenamates [mefenamic acid]), salicylates, and acetaminophen. The most predictive exposures were carbamazepine, valproate, other anticonvulsants, and acetaminophen. We also found that the combination of carbamazepine and acetaminophen further increased the risk for the occurrence of EM, SJS, or TEN. There was no interaction effect from age and sex. Conclusions: Our study suggests that carbamazepine and valproate as well increase the risk for EM, SJS, or TEN. We should be especially cautious about the combined use of carbamazepine and acetaminophen.